Afterglow
by HyperionSpeck
Summary: (Set before and during the events of Borderlands 2. Rhack AU. CinnamonRhys. SFW) I remember when I first met him. I remember our first date and our first dance. I remember the first time he cooked for me, and the first time he held my hand in public. I remember the first time we kissed. All of these memories...will they mean anything in the afterglow? (ON HOLD)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I can't believe I'm actually putting this story up...**

 **This has been my favorite thing to write, but I don't think it's even close to good. So only proceed if you dare!**

 **I love Borderlands, and I played the games in the wrong order, which gave me an unnatural sympathy for Rhys and Jack. They aren't a thing I ever thought I would ship, but I got sucked into that void and there's no way out.**

 **I can't say I'm entirely unhappy...**

 **Anyways, this story is based off of Troy Baker's album, "Sitting in the Fire." Each part (or chapter) is based off of a different song, and I listened to it while I wrote that particular set of scenes. So I guess this is kind of a songfic...? Not really.**

 **Also, I played my Rhys as a CinnamonBun, lovable smartass. So that's probably how he'll end up in the story.**

 **Please keep in mind that this is my first time writing these characters, so please forgive any OOC-ness!**

Part 1: "Intermission"

I remember the first time I saw Handsome Jack in person.

Vaughn and I were smoking in our usual spot when the CEO of Hyperion came rushing by, frazzled, unkempt, and fuming. I had frozen with the cigarette only halfway to my mouth, my lips open. I had watched my boss approach, my fascination contradicting the terror that Vaughn had probably felt.

Jack was gorgeous, just as his nickname suggested, and his displeased sneer had done well to show off all of his perfect lines. Awe-stricken wonder wasn't normally what someone felt when their angry, sanguinary boss was coming towards them...but that's what I had felt in that moment.

I'd snapped out of my wonderstruck state when Jack was suddenly right there in front of me. He stepped so close, I swear I could see the dim light from my ECHO-eye shine off his mask. I could smell his expensive aftershave and the gunsmoke husk of his shirt. It made me hungry for something I couldn't quite determine.

I had opened my mouth to say something I couldn't recall, but the words never left my tongue. Before I could say anything, Jack had plucked the cigarette right out of my hand and took a large drag, stealing half of the tobacco as well as my breath.

"Your mix sucks," is what he said, and I could smell my choice of tobacco on his breath. That's when he left with my cigarette in between his lips, muttering something about 'freaking vault hunters.'

That's when he left me with a terrified friend and a hole that hadn't been there before.

OoOoOoO

I remember the first time I touched Handsome Jack.

I never saw him before our first encounter, but now I was suddenly seeing him all of the time. We would knock shoulders when we passed in the hall, I would catch him glancing in my office when he was in the area, and he seemed determined to diminish my cigarette supplies. Every time he caught me smoking, he would snatch my cigarette right out of my mouth without even saying a word.

I would be lying if I said I didn't become paranoid. This much attention from the galaxy's most charming and devilish CEO was both alarming and rare. I began to wonder if I had been blacklisted - if he was just waiting for the perfect time to murder me. I couldn't think of anything I had done wrong, but Handsome Jack didn't always need a reason to strangle an employee.

So when we both caught the same elevator at the same time...I panicked.

I was stuck in an enclosed space with an erratic and brutal man for an impossibly long elevator ride. I remember sweating, my portable ECHO files practically slipping out of my moist hand. I had shook pretty badly, thankful that Jack wasn't even looking at me. I needed to do something to calm down.

And what did the mind turn to when it was nervous?

I lit a cigarette quickly, the exhaust fans turning on automatically at the first sign of tobacco smoke. That had caught Jack's attention and I stiffened, realizing the mistake I had made. He squinted and turned towards me, a devilish grin curling his lips. When he reached out, I did something that shocked us both.

I can't recall what brought me to make such an action. Perhaps my cybernetic arm just developed a mind of its own and decided what was best for me.

I grabbed Handsome Jack's wrist.

He looked at me with a face I had never seen on his smug persona before. His wide eyes and parted lips were almost foreign - he stared at me as if I had just kicked a puppy. I can't even begin to imagine what my face must have looked like.

My next move was an instinctive action in desperate attempt to clear the air. I reached in my pocket and pulled out a second cigarette. I let go of his wrist and offered it to him, trying to look as confident as I could possibly muster.

He studied me for only a few moments before a wide grin split his face. He reached forward and plucked the first, used cigarette out of my mouth and took a drag from it.

That's when the elevator doors opened, and he left me with a sweaty uniform and one less stick of tobacco.

OoOoOoO

I remember the first time I officially met Handsome Jack.

By then I was carrying extra cigarettes - Jack would take my first one and I would light a second. Vaughn and Yvette were both nervous about the situation and concerned for my safety. I didn't blame them...but I still made no attempt to avoid Hyperion's CEO. It came to the point where I expected him to show up at our smoking spot every day.

It took us two months to finally hold a conversation.

Jack didn't show up that day, and I couldn't help but feel concerned. More than anything, however, I was confused. I voiced my curiosity to Vaughn, but he wasn't nearly as startled.

"You can't expect a guy like him to be consistent."

Vaughn and I finished a drag and went our separate ways. It had been hard for me to go back to work that day; I normally had good control of my concentration, but my mind was strangely absent. I could barely finish a dozen recommendation forms without dreaming up another scenario that could have held Jack up.

When I started signing papers as 'Jack' instead of my name, I knew I had to figure something out. I went on break and headed to my favorite cafe. It was a small bistro near the back of the Hub of Heroism - it was my favorite because the crowds were lighter in this area, and I could often finds some peace and quiet.

That's where I found him.

Jack had been waiting for me at a table in view of the door. He straightened when he saw me and beckoned me over.

As you can imagine, I was pretty confused. I was freaked out and nervous about all the attention I was getting, and I was clueless as to why I was getting that attention in the first place. Meeting with Jack alone normally meant two things for employees: either he was going to kill me, or he was going to...actually, there was only one thing. I was probably going to die.

The baristas probably thought the same thing, because no one working there greeted me as I went in - they totally avoided us. I took a deep breath and clenched my fists to quell the shaking in my fingers. I could feel my lip trembling but I tightened my jaw to try and stop it. My breath was ragged and I could feel a sweat coming on - I was terrified! But I had been determined to confront him rather than run.

He watched me silently as I sat down across from him, barely able to keep his green and blue gaze. Damn, those mismatched eyes were really something to look at...just like my own blue and brown. I looked carefully, but I couldn't see any obvious emotion in his face. Was that what he looked like before he killed someone?

"What's your name?" He finally asked after a minute of intense silence. It felt like my tongue tied itself in a knot. I opened my mouth, but I couldn't force any words out. I couldn't say anything!

But the worst part was...when I opened my mouth, I squeaked.

Oh god, now my face was red too. I bet I looked like a total idiot!

I made sure my mouth was shut after that, and Jack sure took his time giving a response. He took a sip from his dark coffee and raised a judging brow at me. I practically melted in my chair, sinking into my shirt collar.

"I don't have all day, Squeaky," he informed me with the ghost of a grin on his lips. The pet name was diminishing, but his soft tone caught me off guard. It wasn't pity - thank god - but it was something I couldn't quite explain. It was inviting, though, and I felt some of my confidence return.

"Sommerset. R-Rhys Sommerset," I finally managed to stammer, using the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Squeaky Rhysie," Jack grinned, chuckling to himself. He then concentrated on his coffee, offering no other word.

The longer I was there, the more anxious I got. I still had no idea why I was there, and part of me was still expecting to be murdered. The next words I said were so pathetic...but I had to know.

"Are you...are you going to kill me?"

That's when Jack laughed outright.

"Oh man, kiddo! Ahahahaaaa! Kill you! Haaaaa! You - hehe- you almost made coffee come out of my nose! That would have been sick! Hahaaaa!" It was as if I had told the funniest joke in the world. I could only watch, completely baffled, as Jack laughed at me. It was a shoulder-shaking, full-bodied laugh that made my heart tremble. "I wouldn't kill you! Well, I mean..yeah, I could. Obviously. I could slaughter you and leave your head on this table for that bitchbag waitress to clean up. But I'm not going to! Hah! Congratulations, Cupcake. Ya ain't dyin' today!"

I was finally able to relax a bit, leaning back into my chair and taking a deep breath. I was definitely relieved, but my confusion still remained. If he wasn't going to kill me, then what was this about?

When Jack finally settled down, he caught my gaze and held it, mirth still lingering in his heterochromic eyes. But there was something else there...I could almost taste it - it tasted similar to what I had felt the day I first saw him. Something that I didn't have, but it felt so important.

"I've been watching your work," he suddenly informed me, his tone a bit more serious now. "You first caught my attention when you totally massacred your competition for your current middle management position. I mean, you sent the guy packing with his freaking tail between his legs! That was brutal! You're ferocious!"

Ah, yes, I had almost forgotten about Kurt Despin. He was the bastard who had dated me for the sole purpose of stabbing me in the back and stealing my promotion. I don't always hold grudges, but this had been a special circumstance. I'm not a physically violent person, but I can alter records and blackmail the shit out of anyone who wants to screw with me. Being a cyborg and a coding nerd definitely have their perks. I won't go into details, but he won't be able to show his face in public any time soon, even after all of this time.

"I only did what I had to do," I told Jack, feigning humbleness. But in reality, hell, I was freaking proud of myself, and Jack's notice definitely gave me a well-deserved confidence boost.

"Noooo, no, no, no, no, cupcake, that's not what it was," he shook his head, one side of his lip cocked in a smug grin. "It was too fierce for that. I'm thinking it was something more like...revenge." He narrowed his eyes at the word, the perfect grin still present - he said the word with a pleasure that I still don't understand.

I was shocked, however, to learn that he knew the reasoning behind my actions. What he would do with that knowledge would astonish me even more.

"You're young, clever, hot, and ambitious, and I see a lot of myself in you. I'm here to offer you a new position. Well...by offer, I mean order, cause you're gonna do it. I'm your freaking boss, so you gotta do what I say. How would you like to be my - Handsome Jack's - personal assistant?"

 **A/N: And so, with these few meetings, our journey begins! Reviews and constructive criticism always appreciated!**

 **Have a lovely day!**

 **-HyperionSpeck**


	2. Chapter 2: Halo Eyes

**There's nothing I can say that would excuse my massive delay. I am so sorry.**

 **Anyways, read on if you dare. I'm not too confident with this chapter, but I decided to put it up anyways. OOC may occur.**

 **Despite this, I do hope that it will bring some joy to your day!**

OoOoOoO

Part 2: "Halo Eyes"

I remember the first time Handsome Jack asked me out.

By the end of my first couple of months being his PA, we had established a stable routine. Managing Jack's schedule proved to be no easy feat, but I managed to get the gist of it. Some would say that taking control of Jack's day was too much responsibility, but I put it on like a comfy coat, rather than a set of chains. The pride of my new position, however, lied in the fact that I was his official gate. I was the unbreakable barrier that separated Jack from every other employee. I decided what could be dealt with from a distance, and who was important enough to see the CEO in person. I didn't mind hurting people's' feelings, or showing them just how important or unimportant they were in the company - it was part of the job. Middle management had always been my specialty.

I had a desk set up right outside of the elevator leading to Jack's office, and I was the first thing anyone saw when they got there. My salary skyrocketed, and I even managed to get Vaughn and Yvette another promotion in my wake. Being around an intense, handsome megalomaniac could be difficult at times...but for the most part, life was good. And I would be lying if I said that I _never_ enjoyed Jack's company. In fact...I enjoyed it a bit more than I cared to admit at the time.

One day, only a couple of months after my promotion, I logged into the system to clock myself out for lunch. It had been a particularly frustrating day trying to quell the rage of a data mining manager who felt underappreciated in the company, and I had just managed to get him back to his workplace and cease his onslaught of complaint messages. Now I wanted nothing more than to make my packaged ramen and return to more substantial work later.

I had barely gotten out of my seat when I _smelled_ him. That gunsmoke husk and aftershave came upon me so quickly, I had no time to react before Jack grabbed my shoulders and shoved me back down into my chair.

"Clock back in, pumpkin. No lunch yet."

"But the schedule's open," I began to argue, turning my chair to face him. He had his arms crossed and was still there, staring down at me with an expression that told me he had expected retaliation. "There's no reason for me _not_ to go to lunch."

"Desperate to get away from me, kiddo?" Jack grinned, narrowing his eyes in that wolfish way that could make anyone's heart melt - or freeze in fear. I wouldn't have admitted it at the time, but fear was definitely _not_ what it made _me feel_.

"Just ready to get a break," I explained, forcing myself to break away from his ensnaring gaze. "Long day."

"Your break's gonna have to wait," he moved closer and perched himself on the edge of my desk. He'd done that many times before, but that didn't mean I was used to it. I felt heat rising from my neck, and I desperately hoped that my face wasn't flushing. "Our reservations aren't until two o' clock."

Wait a minute...what?

"Reservations?" I asked with an owlish blink, totally dumbfounded. His words just wouldn't register right.

"Yeah, all your crappy ramen lunches were depressing me. Seriously - my PA _can't_ be seen eating cheap shit anymore. We've got an image to maintain, baby!"

"Okay, fine. But... _reservations_?"

"For being so smart, you sure are a dumbass," Jack rolled his eyes in exasperation and I definitely felt my cheeks flush. "I booked us a table at that fancy deli place next to the market. Not exactly caviar and wine, but tastier than that ramen crap. So shake that dumb look off your face and don't be late."

He didn't leave any room for arguments or questions. As soon as he was done talking, he was gone, back in his office before I could even register what he had said.

I'll admit, it took several minutes to figure it out, but believing it was a whole other matter. He had made reservations for us? Was it with other people? Or just the two of us? It would be far less surprising if it was a meeting with other higher managers, and Jack was the king of impromptu schedule changes. If this was another meeting he didn't bother to tell me about, I was going to have another serious discussion with him - keeping him in line is part of the job.

However, if it was just the two of us...that would be a different matter entirely. We ate breakfast together quite often, and touched base every morning. Private conversations with Jack weren't new to me...but this felt far different. What could his motive be?

However hard I fought it, I wondered about this mysterious lunch for the next two hours, barely getting any more work done. Twenty minutes before the reservation, I clocked out and stopped by my apartment to freshen up. If I was eating in a public place with the CEO of Hyperion, then I needed to show off a bit more.

As I straightened the collars on my tight, flared waistcoat and focused on the advancing minutes of the clock, a nervous edge settled on me. I had gotten comfortable with Jack's presence weeks ago...but not like this. This was weird and unsettling. It felt like I was getting ready for a first date.

A date! That's...surely this wasn't...no, of course not. This couldn't be a date. Handsome Jack didn't go on public dates. And he certainly wouldn't do it with _me._ No, there was no way. There had to be some other motive for the strange reservations.

He liked to go out among the people and remind them of his superiority sometimes - this was probably just one of those moments. That made a lot more sense.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to accept this truth. This was purely business and I had no reason to be nervous. It was a relief for my nerves...but I couldn't help but feel discouraged.

No...maybe the word was...disappointed.

Disappointed! Impossible! I shook my head furiously to clear my thoughts, then had to spend another few minutes resetting my hair. There was no reason for me to be thinking this way - it was obviously for business and I was perfectly fine with that.

I tried to get to the restaurant early, but Jack always seemed to beat me everywhere. He was still in his usual attire, which confirmed my suspicions that this meeting was nothing special, but I could tell that he had done something with his scent. He didn't just smell like gunsmoke and aftershave...there was something else there, and it was so _familiar_.

He greeted me like I was late, beckoning me with a gruff nod and quickly stalking into the restaurant. I followed him obediently, taking up my usual position to the left, and just behind his quick heels. It was just like we were taking our weekly tour of the station, except it smelled better and there weren't many people nervously watching.

The restaurant itself was fairly classy, taking affectionate details from the warm, retro-Eden style. It reminded me of the pictures that Vaugn used to show me of his home planet, Eden-5. We were seated by a quiet gentleman and quickly served by a very well-dressed young lady. They treated us like average customers, which was a nice change to the timid, speculating treatment I was used to in this position.

"She's kinda cute," Jack suggested nonchalantly and I had to pause to think it over.

"If you like the easy-to-please type, I guess," I shrugged, deciding I was unimpressed. Jack briefly looked up from his menu and offered an amused grin.

"Not into girls who are older than you?" He guessed, and I was surprised by his question. Since when did he care?

"Age doesn't matter," I answered carefully.

"Then she's the wrong gender," he decided with a sharp nod, looking back down at his menu.

 _Damn_ , he was sharp. He'd hit the nail right in the head!

"What if I'm just not interested in that kind of thing at all?" I suggested defensively, trying to make sure that Jack didn't get another easy win. Trying to appear more complex than you actually were was a key personality asset in Hyperion - anything you could do to impress someone else. "And why do you care anyways?"

"You really are stupid, aren't you?" Jack sighed without looking up from his menu.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I inquired sharply, taken aback by the sudden offence.

"Just _think_ about it, cupcake," he snapped back, and I could see his grip tightening on his menu. He didn't say anything else, leaving me in a baffled silence.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't come up with an answer for him. I was totally confused, completely oblivious to the circumstances at the time. It was so obvious, dancing around in my face, but I was too stupid to see it.

After several minutes of silence, Jack scowled and stood up, scraping his chair back.

"Don't order without me," he said, and I nodded vaguely, still lost in thought. He rolled his eyes and walked past our table, but stopped beside my chair before he left. "And don't give yourself an aneurysm," he breathed down on me, and was gone.

His breath...something about it…

I tilted my head up and took a deep whiff, probably looking like an idiot.

Those were _my_ cigarettes! I took my pack out to check its contents, but none of the tobacco was missing. I knew I hadn't imagined it - he had _definitely_ smoked my brand - but where had he gotten it from? His usual mix smelled nothing like mine…

I wanted to ask him about it when he got back, but I decided it would have been a stupid inquiry. His smoking habits weren't my business...even if he used to steal my cigarettes all of the time. Maybe he finally decided that he liked them and just bought himself a pack. This was perfectly ordinary.

I found this giant clue...but I was still _so oblivious_.

When Jack returned, we ordered our food and chatted idly about different reports and projects. The topic sometimes changed to stupid employees, or people he wanted to get rid of. The simple sandwiches turned out to be tastier than I had expected, but not quite worth the ridiculous price. Jack shrugged - it was pocket change to him. Well...to me as well, now. My new salary meant that I could spend a ridiculous amount of money on tiny things that have no purpose. It was a pretty _great_ feeling, actually.

Despite the large buildup I gave it, lunch turned out to be very ordinary and very professional. It was...enjoyable and plain.

The rest of our workday went on normally, and at the end of the day, we clocked out and went our separate ways. Very simple, very plain, very normal.

It wasn't able to connect the dots until I got home.

I unlatched my cyber-arm and hooked it up to its charger, turning on the watershield on my port to protect the connecter. I had stripped down and was just about to step into the shower when I received a message from Jack, the notification pinging in my eye's ECHO display.

" _ **I'm thinking sushi tomorrow - Jack"**_

Another random lunch? Was this a joke or an actual request?

" _ **Sounds good,"**_ I replied, testing the waters.

Despite all of the obvious hints I had gotten today, I wasn't prepared for the response.

" _ **Sweet. It's a date, pumpkin - Jack"**_

A...a date!?

I quickly located Vaughn's ECHO-address in my contacts roster.

" _ **OMG BRO! COME NOW I NEED U!"**_

OoOoOoO

I remember the first time Handsome Jack said something sweet.

Our second date went very well. So did our third, fourth, fifth, and sixth. It took a while for me to come to terms with the fact that I was actually _dating_ Jack, and I was still often nervous around him, especially on dates. It took me a couple of weeks to realize that _he was nervous too._

He tried to be very subtle about it, but he would look away and tug at his collar when I caught him staring, or he would squeak and clear his throat on dates. Granted, he didn't squeak nearly as much a _I_ did - and he still called me 'Squeaky Rhysie' because of it.

It was nice to know that I wasn't the only one who was nervous, but it still made me curious. I would have _never_ pegged Jack as the nervous type, and I knew for certain that he'd had other relationships long before me. I mean...who _wouldn't_ want to go out with _Handsome Jack_? Just to say that you did? Not to mention, he was freakishly gorgeous…

But that was beside the point.

Workdays still went normally - in fact, Jack was very strict about not showing any signs of affection outside of our dates, unless we were alone in his office. He would show no public displays of affection, and our dates even seemed private and secluded. He didn't seem ready to reveal our relationship with anyone else yet, and I was okay with that. Vaughn and Yvette didn't even know, and that was probably for the best.

It seemed like a dark secret we were trying to hide in public, but it was a warm truth in private. It became our little _thing_ , or whatever you would call it. It was hard to put a label on, and 'dating' just didn't explain it well enough.

One day early on in our relationship, we took our smoking break together and headed up to the ventilated balcony. _Helios_ had several pockets of artificial atmosphere that would filter the air clear of the excess smoke that tobacco left behind, and these were the designated smoking areas. It helped keep the space station clean and sanitary. It was one of the smaller things - along with several others - that Jack had designed himself.

That meant, of course, that he had his own personal balcony. It suited him well, and I didn't mind it either. It was nice to not have to share space and air with other employees when you wanted nothing more than a quiet break. And in our case, it was always quiet. Jack didn't often speak, he preferred to watch the steady flow of human traffic milling and working in the Hub below us.

I watched him that day while I was lighting my smoke. I could tell he was deep in thought about something, as he often was this time of the day. I watched his lips working as he absentmindedly chewed on the end of his cigarette, his heterochromic eyes half closed and unfocused as he leaned over the edge of the balcony.

It was rare to see him so quiet and reclusive. Jack was very much a dominant and irrepressible presence, always the center of attention and always the alpha in the room. When he was quiet, it was almost like he wasn't there. I didn't mind though, I knew that brilliant mind was at work, and some great idea would come from the silence. He was the CEO of Hyperion now, but I knew he was still an engineer deep in his roots. He was a creator, a problem solver, even if he didn't often admit to his humble beginnings.

I turned my attention back to the view of the Hub, and before I knew it, my cigarette was gone. Breaks always went by too quickly, but activity always made the days go faster, not the dormancy. I sighed and stepped back, pressing the dull end of my tobacco against the top of the trash bin.

Jack had lit a second smoke and was still deep in thought, the cigarette hanging from his lips and barely holding on. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was falling asleep. But he was just in a different place right now, and it always fascinated me to watch.

However, today was different. I felt restless and antsy, but I didn't want to go back down without him. I paced, counted my breaths, and watched the people below us, but time seemed to drag on slowly. Jack didn't give any sign that he noticed my agitation, which only frustrated me more.

Why was I suddenly feeling so upset? There was a strange sensation that settled in my chest and seemed to brood there. What was it…?

It almost felt like jealousy.

I wouldn't have admitted it at the time, but I was undeniably envious. I could think of no reason why, but I had an inexplicable craving for something that I didn't have.

Let it be known that I am, in fact, a very ambitious person. Some would call that greed, but I would call it _passion_. I had always been envious of the people above me, but jealousy fueled passion and ambition. Vaughn had always said it was one of my greatest assets and one my biggest flaws.

The problem with this now, however, was that I was in the highest position I could be in, and I had everything I had ever dreamed of. So what reason did I have to be so _desperately jealous?_ What did I not have in that moment?

 _Jack_. I didn't have Jack.

Well, yes, I did have Jack. We were dating, and it was great, but I didn't have his _attention_. He probably wasn't even thinking about me. I felt a flash of heat burn in my face at the realization, and I knew this was the answer.

You can tell that you're head over heels about someone when you desperately crave their attention, and you're envious when a cigarette has more of their focus than you do. Damn, I was _pathetic._

With this new information, I decided to act. I settled myself beside Jack on the balcony and promptly plucked the cigarette from his mouth, taking a deep drag of his mix.

He reacted like I had woken him up with a bucket of water, snapping back into focus and scrambling to turn around and glare at me.

"What the _hell_ , Rhys? I was thinking! I was on the brink of something, there!"

I wasn't listening to him; my tongue was tingling with familiarity, and I was desperately trying to find the source of the taste.

"This is the brand I smoke," I realized, watching the cigarette burn out in between my fingers.

"Good job, princess! You can tell what brand you smoke," Jack congratulated me sarcastically, and I could tell that he was vexed to be ripped from his thoughts.

"But I thought you hated my mix," I questioned, looking up to his scowl.

"Yeah, I do. It sucks," he rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest and giving me that 'you're-an-idiot' look that he normally reserved for the common employees.

"Then...why are you-?"

"It helps me think!" He cut me off and snatched the useless tobacco out of my hand quickly, strangely affronted. Something about the way he defended himself seemed foreign to me - Handsome Jack didn't need to defend himself, everyone always knew how awesome and terrifying and Handsome he was. It was almost as if he was...embarrassed.

He turned back towards the edge of the balcony and crushed the extinguished stub in his hand tightly. I shifted uncomfortably and ran a hand through my hair.

We stayed in an awkward silence for an almost unbearable amount of time, and I was beginning to fear that I had somehow upset him for offended him. Just when I thought he wasn't going to say anything, he took a deep breath and turned slightly towards me, his face still tilted away so I couldn't see his expression.

"No one smokes my ritzy expensive shit - I'm the only one who can afford it. This sounds stupid, but it was lonely. Your crappy stuff...it sucks, but it _smells like you._ And I like that. When I need a break from ruling Hyperion behind an awesome desk, I like to be reminded of...you know... _you_."

I swear my face turned red and my eyes practically popped out of my head. _Damn._ Was that...true? Or was he just messing around with me? I wouldn't have put it past him, he could be a cruel prankster.

He finally turned around to face me, and when he saw my face, he _laughed_.

"You should see your face! You look like you've seen a freaking ghost! Shut your mouth before you catch flies!"

I snapped my jaw shut, realizing that my mouth had been hanging open. My face only grew hotter in embarrassment, which seemed to tickle Jack even further. With shoulders heaving at each full cackle, he swept past me and patted my shoulder on the way there.

He left me on the balcony with my mind baffled and my heart warm.

OoOoOoOoO

I remember the first time...I witnessed Jack's rage.

Some days, it was hard to remember that I was dating and working with a sanguinary man who wasn't entirely right in the head.

Well...when I put it that way, it sounds like I was dating a madman. That wasn't the case, I swear!

It's not that he wasn't right in the head, I take that back. I had, however, noticed some signs of a deeper mental disturbance in the extended amount of time I spent with him.

I would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night to find him panting and pacing the floor of his penthouse bedroom, or he would be perched on the edge of the bed, pressing his mask against his face like he was deprived of air and it was the oxygen mask keeping him alive. I never let him know that I was awake - our personal demons are our own insecurities, and I would never force them out of anyone.

I suspected some subtle case of PTSD, knowing only inklings of Jack's abused childhood. Or perhaps he had experienced some trauma when DAHL had attacked the _Helios_ station six years ago.

It was concerning, but I knew that he would come to me if he felt he couldn't handle it. In any case, Handsome Jack could handle anything, right?

With post-trauma in mind, I always wondered if Jack's famous temper came from some form of self-protection, or if he was just born with a short fuse in his personality. His temper was no secret, and it was a part of what made him so damn scary in the eyes of his employees.

I tried to tolerate it as best I could, knowing that a temper was only a flaw, and everyone was born with flaws. Jack used his flaw to his advantage, which only made me admire him more.

Yes, I did admire him...I daresay I even loved him.

But it wasn't until that fateful day when I would learn just how much I _feared him_.

It was a day just like any other. We had a tour to take and several meetings to attend - all standard protocol and routine checkup. It was the more tedious side of the job, but it was necessary.

It wasn't until we were halfway through our R&D tour that anything remotely interesting happened. As per usual, the E-Tech scientists offered us a seat in one of those stuffy, ineffectual conference rooms, nervously taking their seats across the table from us. There were three representatives offered for each periodic evaluation: a representative for the E-Tech Research division, the E-Tech Development Division, and E-Tech Propaganda and Advertising.

Jack, of course, never thought it necessary to tell which one was which, but I already had their files pulled up in my ECHO-eye's inner display. This way, if something was wrong, I could easily figure out who to blame. Today, we had Wardo Randalf for Research, Jared Wallis for Development, and Alid Drake on Propaganda.

It was common to see the three representatives nervous and edgy, but something was different this time. Drake and Randalf were visibly sweating, but Jared Wallis was _actually crying_. It was quite a sight to see an aging intellectual practically bawling in front of his boss. Well...not that unusual in Hyperion.

Jack must have sensed that something was wrong, too, because he _didn't say a word._ He lounged in his chair in a way that only made him seem more threatening, and he fixed the three men in an overpowering _glare_. I suppressed a shiver, grateful that I was beside him and not in front of him.

The silence was suffocating, even for me. I could see Wallis caving in under Jack's gaze, which seemed to bear a physical weight of its own. Randalf tugged at his collar and looked away, while Drake seemed to be confused, looking between his two companions as if trying to figure out a secret between them.

Jack's silent threat only grew heavier as the silence dragged on, and when he drew his lips back in a sneer, Wallis finally snapped.

"I'm so sorry, sir!" The older man wailed, burying his wet face in his hands. Jack narrowed his eyes, and I almost felt pity for the man.

Almost. If he really screwed something up that bad, then he didn't deserve the pity.

"Mr. Wallis," Jack started very calmly, but I could practically feel the iciness in his tone. He clasped his hands together and leaned onto the table, giving the older man a harshly deprecating look. "E-Tech is one of Hyperion's most important branches of research and profit. E-Tech makes this company richer, and it pays for your salary. If you're about to tell me that you've done something to screw up my precious E-Tech, then there are going to be serious consequences.

"It wasn't me, I swear!" Wallis cried, revealing his red, snot-covered face. By now, the other two representatives had rolled their chairs away from their companion as if he were toxic, not wanting to face any of the wrath.

" _What did you do?_ " Jack hissed, bracing his hands against the table like a wild animal ready to pounce on its prey.

"Some of our drafts...our early prototypes for the latest line of E-Tech mods...they were leaked, sir. I'm sorry! It wasn't me! It was all leaked and VLADOF got a hold of it-"

"This had better be a joke," Jack growled, and I could feel the tension in the room like a wave of energy. " _It's not funny._ "

"IT WASN'T ME!"

" _Who?_ "

"I don't...I don't know, sir. We haven't been able to find them. I swear I will, though! And they will be properly punished!"

"No!" Jack snarled and slammed his fists on the table, making me jump. I instinctively got out of his way as he pushed himself out of his chair. "Noooo, no no no. This has...this has _seriously screwed us up!_ Do you _get that_?! Do you know how much those prototypes _cost_? _How long they take to make_?! And now, some of our best new gear is being developed by VLADOF!"

Drake and Randalf had made a beeline for the door, bracing their backs against the glass and fingering the handle. Wallis was practically shrinking where he was, whimpering and hunkering with each word that Jack spat.

"Did you know that VLADOF is a _rival company?_ " Jack asked, his voice oozing with sarcasm and malice. "Did you know that, dumb-dumb? Did you know that we don't like VLADOF, asshead?"

"I-I s-s-swear I'll-I'll find w-whoever did this!" Wallis stammered and pleaded, sliding off of his chair and onto his knees.

"But I need someone to punish _now,_ Princess!"

"J-Just give me time!" He wailed, but he didn't plead to Jack, he looked over and begged _me_.

I was dumbstruck, not able to give the doomed man any kind of response. I was the PA of the CEO; I was the gate between Jack and the rest of the company. All employees had to go through me. Was Wallis...hoping that it would work the other way around?

I didn't have time to wonder. All I could do was step back.

Jack rounded the table and dragged Wallis to his feet, holding the older man by the back of his neck.

"Congratulations, shitcheese. I haven't been this _pissed off_ in a long time."

Wallis was trembling and openly weeping, unable to form any sensual babble through his tears.

"Why is it always the _freaking scientists_?" Jack asked, as if he actually expected an answer. He tightened his grip on the sides of Wallis's neck, making the older man squeal. "The dumb bastards who screw us up are always the ones who are supposed to be smart! Do you people live _just to piss me off?_ _**Was this worth it?!"**_

 _Crack!_

Jack slammed Wallis's face against the glass wall, cracking the strong material and easily breaking the scientist's nose. Blood splattered on the glass and Wallis cried out.

The physical abuse seemed to satisfy Jack by some degree...because he decided to do it again.

 _CRACK!_

And again.

 _ **CRACK!**_

I lost count of how many times he did it. Wallis wailed and thrashed like a rabbit held down by a wolf. Randalf and Drake had bolted, leaving their companion for dead.

I was frozen, my feet rooted to the ground. My blood ran ice cold as I watched the blood cover everything, reaching new extremes with each impact.

Jack did it until...oh _god_. I had to turn away to prevent myself from vomiting, but I could never unsee the incredible gore that I had just witnessed. All that was left of Wallis's head and face was a fractured puddle of something that I hardly believe could have been human at one time. The image still haunts me to this very day.

The glass wall shattered and crashed to the ground with a deafening ruckus. The corpse was tossed through the broken barrier, and I could vaguely hear someone screaming from the offices on the other side. Footsteps quickly retreated, and Jack and I quickly found ourselves alone within the larger section of R&D.

I couldn't tell you what Jack was doing in that moment - I was just trying to not pass out. A wave of vertigo had rushed over me, and I was nauseated by the horrific scene. It kept replaying in my mind, and all I could see was a blurry, distorted version of Wallis's face being broken and broken again until it was mutilated beyond reason.

"Rhys," Jack snapped, barely catching my attention. "Let's go."

I automatically obeyed, moving purely by instinct and muscle memory. I tried desperately to focus on Jack's moving heels in front of me, but my mind didn't seem to follow. It was still stuck behind in a pool of blood.

I vaguely remember an intense silence following us. Jack was _covered in blood_ , and every employee immediately fell silent when they saw him coming. No one dared speak a word or even stare, in case his murderous intentions still lingered.

I had recovered slightly by the time we made it back to his office. I was able to stand up straight and focus more on what was in front of me, but I knew that my mind had now been scarred.

I instinctively sat down in the chair in front of Jack's desk, hunching my shoulders and drawing my knees together tightly as if bracing myself for an attack.

Jack took several minutes to himself, taking the time to pace away his nervous energy and take several deep breaths. I knew he was calming down, but that didn't make me feel any less wary.

No, not wary. _Terrified._

I had been afraid of him before, but not like this. I'd heard rumors and stories of Jack killing off employees, but I hadn't realized the depth of these stories until I actually _saw him do it_. Hearing it all was one thing - seeing it was an entirely different matter.

"Ugh...Rhys," Jack finally sighed, running his hands down the face of his mask as if he could actually feel it, wiping some of the blood off as he went. I could still hear the underlying vexation in his tone. "We're surrounded by idiots and jackasses, I'm tellin' ya."

"Yessir," was all I could mutter, and I'm not even sure if I made the words audible enough. I couldn't look up at him - I was afraid to see the blood again.

"You doin' alright there, cupcake? You're lookin' a little peaky."

No, I wasn't alright, but how could I say that? If I didn't like it, would I be killed, too? If I told him I was scared, would I be too weak for him? His office, which was once a place of sanctuary and desire for me, now seemed like a cage, and I was locked in it with a crimson-stained lion.

"Woah, I didn't...I didn't freak you out or anything, did I, kiddo?"

"What do you think?" I asked, trying to muster a courage I didn't feel. My voice trembled and I dug my nails into the leather of the chair as if it would anchor me. "Are you going to kill me, too?"

"Don't be a dumbass, Rhys!" Jack scowled and I cringed. He almost seemed disappointed in me, as if I had failed some test, or I had somehow overlooked something obvious.

"What about the first time I screw up?" I asked desperately, tired of waiting in the unknown. I didn't want to be in that room another moment until I knew exactly where I stood in the likelihood of death. "I miss an appointment or I overlap a meeting -"

" _Shut up_!" Jack snapped and I quickly fell silent in fear.

This was it; I had messed up, so he was going to unholster his gun and shoot me, or strangle me -

"I wouldn't kill people that I care about! I still have a little bit of a heart in here," he rolled his eyes and gave a heavy sigh. I watched him place a hand on his chest with a strange feeling of fascination. Was this news to me? "And if I didn't care about you, you probably would have died a _looong_ time ago, just for being so _damn stupid._ "

Oh...that was...that had been kind of…comforting. In a twisted, Jack-ish sort of way. I felt my cheeks glow, and there was a warmth settling in my chest. It was the same warmth I felt when I smoked with Jack, or when I was near him. That familiar feeling...it was beginning to melt away the fear.

"If I'm such an idiot, then why do you keep me around?" I challenged with returning confidence. "I know you have no patience for fools, Jack."

"You come with perks," he answered with a handsome grin that made my very heart shiver. "You're pretty as a picture, too. That certainly helps."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Face it, Jack," it was my turn to smile now. I stood up and shortened the distance between us, the room growing hotter with each step. "You'd be drowning without me. You need me."

"Really?" He laughed in disbelief, his mismatched eyes shining with mirth. "What gives you that idea?"

"The reported sixty percent boost in your average efficiency rating. It's my job to make you get more work done, and I'm doing a damn good job. You were lazy without me."

"I was perfectly fine without you!" He objected, but the mirth never left his eyes. "Although I'll admit, the company doesn't hurt."

"Come on, give me some credit," I laughed.

I reached forward to grab his hands, but he suddenly flinched and stepped back at the contact.

"Jack?" I asked, concern replacing every warm feeling.

"You just startled me," he grinned, but I didn't buy it.

His eyes were furrowed with a tension that could only be pain.

"Give me your hands," I ordered, narrowing my eyes.

"What, are you gonna propose to me?" He asked, attempting to joke as he hesitantly offered his palms up.

I didn't answer, but instead activated my ECHO-eye and scanned his hands. My subsystems quickly identified Dr. Wallis' blood and separated it from Jack's personal anatomy so I could discover the problem more easily.

Jack's right hand was full of shattered glass.

I gently grabbed his wrist with my flesh hand, he cringed, but he didn't pull away. With my metal hand, I started plucking out the smaller shards as if they were splinters, being as gentle and as accurate as I could.

"This is a lot of glass," I remarked as I worked, my eyes not leaving the damage. "It must've hurt when you did it."

"I didn't notice," he replied nonchalantly, but hissed when I yanked out a larger piece.

"Was it worth it?" I asked. I didn't look up when I spoke to him, but I could feel his gaze burning on my face.

"Hell yeah. Dumb bastard deserved it. I'm still _pissed_."

"At least one of us liked it. Scared the shit out of me, _and_ made me a mess to clean," I tried to grin, pulling out the last few pieces."

"Naaaaah, cleaning is what we hire other people to do, pumpkin!"

"Or robots," I suggested, pulling the handkerchief out of my breast pocket. (Yes, I carry around a handkerchief, because I have class. Deal with it.) I wrapped the silky cloth around the majority of the cuts and gashes and made a makeshift bandage, because I knew he wouldn't bother going to the clinic to get it properly looked at. "Now go take a shower and get cleaned up before our five o'clock meeting with the engineering division."

"Eh, fair deuce," he shrugged, flexing his hand to check its new condition. "Hold down the fort while I'm gone."

"Yeah, boss," I smiled, making move to turn back to my desk.

"And Rhys," he stopped me, grabbing my shoulder. "Thanks, pumpkin."

That's when he leaned forward and kissed me.

Not a peck on the cheek or a brush on the knuckles. He locked our freaking lips. _Damn._

It lasted only a moment, and it wasn't fair. My lips were tingling and he left me with an indescribable longing.

So, ironically, the first time Handsome Jack made me fear for my life was also the first time he kissed me.

OoOoOoO

 **A/N:**

 **So...this is embarrassing. I thought I could juggle full time college and full time work at the same time, then a ton of medical and financial shit came up, and writing has been pretty low on my priority list. My life is incredibly hectic. That being said, I'm going to have to put this story on hold. I'm not giving up on it! I just...can't manage it right now.**

 **I'll probably be popping random one-shots up here and there if time allows, but I can't handle a story. Also, I began this story for one very specific scene, which may or may not get posted without this story being finished.**

 **I'm really, really sorry about this, and I really appreciate all of the kind words and support!**

 **With love,**

 **HyperionSpeck**


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